The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 113 The Return (28)
I said, "His carriage is at his door now, and he's getting into it. I saw him look up at our window again. I'll ride after him to see if I can get a good lookout. What do you think?" "

"You don't want to go, my dear Watson. You are no match for this doctor, though you are clever and resourceful. I think I may succeed in trying to test it alone. You can walk around the city by yourself. If you appear in the quiet country Two uninvited guests will definitely cause rumors that are not good for us. There are many places of interest in this famous city, and you can visit them. I hope to bring you good news in the evening."

However my friend failed again.He returned to the hotel late at night, exhausted and with nothing to show for it.

"Watson, I have been busy today. I have already found out the general whereabouts of the doctor, and I am waiting for him in the surrounding villages. I have made some inquiries with the local hotel owners and newspaper sellers. I have traveled a lot. I went to Chesterton, Heston, Waterbeach, and Auchington, but found nothing. In such a peaceful place, a two-horse four-wheeler appeared every day, and people would not turn a blind eye. This time The doctor has won again. Is there a telegram from me?"

"Yes, I've taken it apart. It reads: Ask Ghiriem Dixon, Trinity College for Pompey. I can't read the telegram."

"The telegram is clearly written, and it is from our friend Overton, who answered a question I had. All I have to do is write to Mr. Dixon, and things will turn around. By the way, the match Any news?"

"The local evening paper has a detailed report today. There was a one-point win for Oxford, and two draws. The last paragraph of the report reads:

'The team in the light blue jerseys lost because the absence of their first-class national athlete Staunton greatly weakened the strength of the whole team, lack of organization in the forward line, poor coordination, and weak offense and defense. '"

Holmes said: "Overton's prophecy has been confirmed. Personally, I think the same as Armstrong. Rugby is not my job. Watson, we have to go to bed early today. I have a feeling that tomorrow will be a lot of things. "

I was startled when I saw Holmes the next morning, for he was sitting by the fire with a hypodermic syringe in his hand.As soon as I saw the stimulant, I thought he was in poor health and worried about what was going to happen.Seeing my stunned look, he smiled and put the needle on the table.

"Dear friend, don't worry about me. Doping in such an emergency is not a bad thing, but it is the key to solving this mystery. My hope is completely pinned on this shot of doping. I just went to investigate , and everything is going well. Watson, have a good breakfast. We are going to track down Dr. Armstrong today. I won’t be able to eat or sleep if I don’t track down his lair today.”

Holmes and I went downstairs into the stable yard, where he opened the stable door and let out a hound.The dog was short and fat, with pendulous ears, yellow and white, part beagle and foxhound.

He said: "Please get acquainted with Pompey. Pompey is the most famous tracking hound in the area. He runs very fast and is a tenacious tracker. Pompey, don't run too fast. I'm afraid we can't catch up with you." , so I had to put a belt around your neck. Well, Pompey, go, it's up to you today."

Holmes led the dog to the doctor's house opposite.The dog sniffed here and there for a while, then ran off into the street with a screech, and we ran as hard as we could on the leash.Half an hour later we were out of the city and were running along the country road.

I asked, "Holmes, what are you going to do?"

"It's an old trick, but it came in handy today. I went down to the doctor's yard early this morning and put a needle of fennel oil on the back wheel of the wagon, from where a hound would chase it all the way to the ends of the earth. Well, it's impossible to get rid of Pompey! The doctor is too cunning. The night before yesterday he drove his car into the back of the country to throw me off."

The dog turned suddenly from the road onto a weedy path, and we walked half a mile to another broad road.Turn right from here to the city.The main road turns south of the city, and turns north to return to where we started.

"Such a whole circle," said Holmes, "is directed against us! No wonder the people in the village can't explain why. The doctor has played such a trick well, and I should like to know why he has set up such an elaborate one." A deception. The village of Trumpington must be on our right. Oh, the carriage is coming! Quick, Watson, or we shall be discovered!"

Holmes pulled Pompey, who was still advancing, into a fence gate, and I followed.No sooner had we ducked under the fence than the carriage rattled past.I saw Dr. Armstrong in the car, his shoulders arched, his head on his hands, looking very depressed.It was evident from the seriousness of Holmes's expression that he too had noticed the doctor's expression.

He said: "I'm afraid we shall find something unfortunate. We shall soon find out, Pompeii. Come, to that hut in the field!"

Obviously, this is the end of our journey.Pompey was running around outside the door of the hut, barking vigorously, and the traces of the wheels of the carriage could be seen here.A path leads to this lonely farmhouse.Holmes tied Pompey to the fence, and we came to the house door.He knocked on the door of the humble house, but no one answered for a long time.But there was evidently someone in the house, for we heard a muffled voice within, like a cry of pain, which was very sad.Holmes hesitated for a moment, then looked back at the road he had just crossed.A four-wheeled carriage was driving on the road, drawn by a pair of gray horses, which were the doctor's carriage.

"The doctor is back again," cried Holmes. "This time the matter is settled, and we must see what is the matter before he comes."

He pushed the door open and we walked in.The deep voice grew louder, and then turned into a weeping whimper.The sound came from upstairs.Holmes hurried up, and I followed.He pushed open a half-closed door, and what unfolded before us was beyond belief.

A young and beautiful woman had died in her bed.Her face was serene and pale, and her dull blue eyes stared upward through tousled blond hair.A young man was half sitting and half kneeling on the bed, his face was lying on the sheet, shaking from crying.He was so lost in his grief that he did not raise his head until Holmes laid his hand on his shoulder.

"Are you Mr. Godfrey Staunton?"

"Yes, I am, but you are too late. She is dead."

The young man was so bewildered with grief that he didn't understand who we were.Holmes was about to comfort him and explain our origins, when footsteps were heard on the stairs, and Dr. Armstrong appeared at the door with a look of grief, sternness, and questioning on his face.

He said: "Gentlemen, you have at last achieved your purpose, and at such a particularly unfortunate time. I cannot make a noise in front of the dead, but I will tell you that if I were younger, I would never forgive you so easily." bad behavior."

My friend said very solemnly: "I'm sorry, Dr. Armstrong. I think we have misunderstood each other. You'd better come downstairs, so we can explain this unfortunate incident."

A moment later the stern doctor followed us downstairs into the living room.

He said, "Sir, tell me!"

"First of all, I hope you will understand that I am not commissioned by Sir Mount James, and that I do not share the nobleman's views on the matter. A man has disappeared, and it is my duty to ascertain his But when the investigation started, I found that things were beyond my expectations. Since there is no crime, we are eager to quell the rumors instead of spreading them. Since there is nothing illegal about this matter, please believe me Will keep it secret and keep it from the press."

Dr. Armstrong stepped forward quickly, took Holmes by the hand, and said: "You are a good man. I have misunderstood you. Now that you know all this, the matter is easy to explain. A year ago, Staunton Lived in London for a while, fell in love with the landlady's daughter, and married her. She was clever, kind, and beautiful. Anyone who married such a wife would be happy. But Staunton is the heir of that eccentric old nobleman. The news of the marriage let him know that Staunton would be disinherited. I knew this young man very well, he had many qualities, and I liked him very much. So I did my best to help him not to disinherit him. We tried our best Keep outsiders from knowing about it, because as long as one person knows, it will spread to ten, ten to hundreds. Since the farmhouse is very remote and Staunton is very cautious, no outsider has known about it until now. Their secret is known only to me and a faithful servant. The servant is gone to Trumpington on business. But Staunton's wife is unlucky, and has a very bad consumption. Poor Staunton is going mad with worry, but He's got to go to London for a game, because if he doesn't he'll have to explain why, and that'll expose his secret. I sent him a telegram to reassure him, and he telegraphed back asking me to do what I could. Here's the telegram, I don't know how you got it, I didn't tell him how critical it was because he couldn't help here. But I told the patient's father the truth, and her father didn't think twice and told Staunton. came straight here in a frenzy, returned and knelt by his wife's bed, and remained motionless till this morning when death put an end to his wife's sufferings. That is all, Mr. Holmes, and I trust that you and your friend can Close-mouthed."

Holmes shook the doctor's hand firmly.

We left the house full of sorrow and came into the dim winter sun.My friend said slowly, "Come on, Watson!"

Grange Manor

One frosty morning in the late winter of [-], at dawn, I was pushed on the shoulder, and I awoke to find Sherlock Holmes.With a candle in his hand and an anxious expression on his face, he leaned over to tell me that there was an urgent case.

He cried: "Quick, Watson, quick! It is a matter of great urgency. Don't ask any questions, just put on your clothes and follow me!"

Ten minutes later we boarded the carriage and rattled along the quiet streets towards Charing Cross Station.The sky is slightly brighter, and through the gray-white morning fog in London, one or two workers on the morning shift can be seen from time to time.Holmes, wrapped in his thick coat, said nothing, and neither did I.Because it was too cold and we didn't have breakfast.

We drank hot tea at the train station, walked into the carriage and found our seats, and only then did we feel our bodies gradually warming up.The train was going to Kent, and Holmes kept talking along the way, and I just listened.He took a letter from his pocket and read aloud:
Kent, Malsham, Grange Manor

[-]:[-] pm

Dear Mr. Holmes:
I would like you to assist me immediately in solving this very peculiar case.You are good at handling these kinds of cases.Now everything on the scene has not been moved, only the lady has been released.I beg you to come hastily, for it would be inappropriate to leave Ser Eustace alone.

Your faithful friend Stanley Hopkins
Holmes said: "Hopkins asked me to go to the scene to handle the case seven times. It is true that I can help each time. I think you must have included all his cases in your collection. Of course I admit you You are good at selecting materials, which makes up for your lack of narrative. But you always look at all issues from the perspective of writing stories, not from the perspective of scientifically solving crimes, which destroys the demonstration of these typical cases. The tricks and details of the book are skimmed over, but the plot is as touching as it can be, and although it can attract and impress the reader, it cannot educate the reader."

I was a little unhappy and said, "Why don't you write it yourself?"

"My dear Watson, of course I will. I am very busy at the moment, you know, but I want to write a textbook in my later years, which will cover the whole art of detection. We are going to investigate something like a murder. "

"So you think Sir Eustace is dead?"

"I think so. Hopkins' letter shows that he was quite agitated, but he is not an excitable person. I think someone must have been killed, and we will go to the post-mortem. If it was suicide, he would not come to us. The lady is mentioned in the letter. I presume that she was locked in her room when the tragedy happened. Watson, this case happened in the upper class. You see, the letter paper is of good quality, with E, B on it Two letters for the family coat of arms, and a picturesque location. Hopkins doesn't write letters casually, so we must be busy this morning. The murder took place before twelve o'clock last night. .”

"How do you know?"

"Check the train timetable and estimate the time to do things. After the accident, you need to find the local police, and the police have to report to Scotland Yard. Hopkins has to go to the scene and send me a letter. It will take at least one month." All night. Well, Chiselhurst station is here, and will clear up our doubts in a moment."

We hurried two miles up narrow country lanes to the gate of a courtyard.The door was opened for us by an old man whose haggard face confirmed that the unfortunate incident had indeed taken place here.Two rows of old elms in the stately courtyard formed just an avenue leading to a low, spacious house with Palladian columns in front.The central part of the house is covered in ivy and looks old, but the tall windows show that the house has been remodeled and one side is entirely new.Young Hopkins was standing in the doorway to greet us, looking tactful but also anxious.

"Mr. Holmes, Dr. Watson, I am very glad that you can come here in person. If it is not urgent, I will not bother you. Now that the lady has regained consciousness, she has explained the ins and outs of the matter very clearly, so we have to do Not much. Do you remember Louishame's band of robbers?"

"Why, are they the three members of Ruan Daer's family?"

"Yes, father and two sons. There is no doubt that they did it. They committed a crime in Seatonham a fortnight ago and were found and reported to us. It is cruel to kill another so soon, it must be They did it. They must be hanged this time!"

"Ser Eustace is dead?"

"Yes, his head was broken by a chimney rod."

"The coachman told me on the way that Sir's name is Eustace Brackenstall."

"That's right. He's the richest man in Kent. His wife is in the bathroom now. Poor thing, what happened to her was so horrible that when I saw her she seemed half dead. You'd better see her." , listen to her tell you about the case, and then we will go to the restaurant to check."

Mrs. Brackenstall was very unusual; she had the grace, dignity, and beauty of a woman I had seldom seen.She has fair skin, blond hair, deep blue eyes, and a beautiful face, which is really beautiful.But the unfortunate incident had left her haggard and gloomy.One of her eyes was very red and swollen, and it could be seen that she was suffering both mentally and physically.The lady was lying tiredly on the couch, and a tall and unsmiling maid was constantly washing her eyes with diluted vinegar.As soon as I entered the room, I saw that her eyes were quick and insightful, and her expression was full of alertness, which showed that her wisdom and courage were not deterred by this tragedy.She was wearing a loose blue and white morning gown, with a black dinner jacket trimmed with white sequins beside her.

She said wearily: "Mr. Hopkins, I have told you all that has happened. Will you repeat it for me? But if you think it necessary, I will tell these gentlemen again. They Have you been to the restaurant?"

"I think it's better to let them listen to Madam first."

"That being the case, I repeat. The thought of the dead body in the dining room gives me a horrifying feeling." Trembling, she raised her hands to shield her face as the cuffs of her wide morning gown slid down to reveal her forearms .Holmes exclaimed in amazement: "Madam, you have more than one injury! What is the matter?" I saw two red spots on the lady's white and round forearm.Covering it hastily with her clothes, she said: "Nothing. It has nothing to do with the tragedy of the night. You and your friends sit down, and I will tell you all.

(End of this chapter)